Chidiya Tapu beach, ideal get away from Port Blair

Chidiya Tapu is one of the destinations we visited during the recent trip to Andaman. It is a small recreational area some 25 kms away from Port Blair city- ideal for half a day outing.

What to expect at Chidiya Tapu?
#1 Botanical Garden (closed on Mondays)

#2 Two kms of walk in the woods
 Chidiya Tapu beach is about 2 kms away from botanical garden or bus stop. You have to walk this distance if you don’t have a vehicle. Even if you have a vehicle, try enjoying the walk for a while. We didn’t find any autos. Walking path is nice, amidst tall trees in a typical rainforest setup, so you won’t get tired and can walk at your pace-involves a few inclines though.

#3 Chidiya Tapu recreational area

Once at Chidiya Tapu beach, we had to write our details in a log book and enter. No entry fee. We were told not to enter sea- swimming was prohibited due to rains and rough weather. We were also told to leave by 5.30 PM Max.

You can relax in the campus- few slings are there to play, some sit out areas, tree branches to climb and get clicked, a small stream joining ocean and more. We saw a board announcing a trekking trail but couldn’t spot exact way- you can investigate if you have time and interest.

Few vendors sell churumuri, tender coconut and other stuffs.  A rest room exists. Apart from these there isn’t much to do at Chidiya Tapu. Carry your supply of water and food if needed.

 #4 Beach area

Back to the area where we got off from the bus, had few petty shops selling tea, biscuits and hot samosas.

Reaching Chidiya Tapu beach from Port Blair:

Government buses can take you to Chidiya Tapu from Port Blair for about 24 Rs per person. Frequency is said to be once an hour but can vary. It is about 25 kms from Port Blair.

We went there by bus, reached there by about 9.15. We were told to be back by 10 PM for 10.15 PM return bus. But 1 hour was not adequate to walk 2 kms, explore the Chidiya Tapu campus, so we planned to take a later bus at 12.15 or 1.15- came back by 12 but didn’t get any bus till 1 PM. So we started walking slowly- after a few kms of walk some car owner offered to drop us off at next town. We saw a bus headed towards Chidiya Tapu on the way. So bottomline- don’t expect bus every hour- be ready to wait an hour or two or more. Don’t risk going in the afternoon if you are dependent on public transport.

Related: Plan Andaman trip in low budget * Netaji Subash Chandra Bose island * Joggers' Park *